Mike Lindell is Extremely Online, but not online enough. Otherwise, he would have seen the video of Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) getting duped by a guy in all-American-flag ensemble (“People think you’re a pedophile, I don’t think you’re a pedophile at all”), and run away from a supposed admirer. He did not do this.
The MyPillow founder, who recently predicted that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will resign the presidency after seeing his evidence of… something, was conducting an interview (possibly with Brannon Howse) in public when he was approached by a supporter. “I love you, man. You’re a true patriot,” the guy said. “Keep fighting, man. Keep fighting.” Lindell gave him a thumbs up to signal the end of the interaction, but the guy, who turned out to be Twitter user @BillRobens, kept going.
“Don’t let the libtards call you names! Don’t let them call you an ethically dubious pillow pusher. Don’t let them call you a marginally brain-addled corrupt goofball. Don’t let them call you names is what I’m saying. Be strong. Don’t let them push you around or call you names like completely clueless crazy old man who believes everything he sees on the internet.”
This is why all phone or video conversations, whether they’re about what you’re having for dinner or how a pillow man has exposed the global conspiracy (it goes all the way to the top, like all good conspiracies) against Donald Trump that prevented him from winning the 2020 election, should be held in private. Mike Lindell should know better. About this, and many other things.
Like Big Foot, weed out of Northern California is the stuff of legend. We’re currently living in an age where great weed comes from all over the country, but if you smoked something 15 years ago and it knocked you on your ass and sent you on a mind trip that forever made music, food, and the sun sound, taste, and feel different, well… it was probably from Humboldt, Mendocino, or Trinity counties, in California — also known as the Emerald Triangle. While this new era of growhouses and legal farming have leveled the playing field a fair bit, Nor-Cal still produces some truly great weed brands.
With A Golden State certainly being one of them. Both on the production side and in the effect it has when smoked.
A Golden State grows its weed in “the shadow of the Cascade Mountains,” which sounds really romantic for a dope growing operation. They water their plants with snowmelt from Mount Shasta (like… you guys mean creeks, right?) and grow it out of natural soil “derived from coconut hulls” (seems cool, pass the joint already). But as easy as it is to roast the jargon, a cannabis brand putting sustainability front and center actually seems pretty vital. As legendary California is in the cannabis conversation, it’s still a drought-stricken state.
“A Golden state is proud to say that we’ve pioneered most of the advancements in this space,” Nishant Reddy, A Golden State’s CEO wrote via email, “including being the first and only carbon neutral cultivation, relying only on hydro-electric power. We recycle all of our growing medium to help support local community gardens and we water our plants with snowmelt water captured from Mt. Shasta.”
She added: “We believe quality in leads to quality out and this extends to our philosophy toward sustainability.”
Naturally, these sustainable practices come with a pretty high price tag attached. An eighth of A Golden State weed will cost you $60 before taxes, likely pushing your total to around $80. That’s a lot of money for 3 1/2 grams of herb.
Is it worth it? I sampled two of A Golden State’s strains — Mountain Shadows and Night Sky — to find out.
As soon as you crack open the jar of Mountain Shadows you’re presented with forest-y notes of pine and soothing lavender. I ground this herb up real fine and put smoked it through a vaporizer to really help tune into the flavors. On the palate, I got a citrus-forward flavor — very zesty with an almost bitter rind quality — with more notes of lavender and a slight mint lift on the back end. This is a great strain to inhale and hold, the flavors are really soothing.
The high will kick in almost immediately, melting anxiety (courtesy of the Limonene), and drawing you into a calming wave of relaxation as your senses start to tingle. As relaxing as it is, the high is never so heavy that you’ll end up couch-locked all day. It’s a great cerebral strain that keeps the high mainly in your headspace.
The Bottom Line:
Mountain Shadows is the type of strain that will get you in-tune with your surroundings and appreciative of whatever you’re experiencing, making it a great option for chilling out and listening to music or at the end of a hike with some friends.
Night Sky feels like the exact opposite of Mountain Shadow and I imagine it got its name for its heavily sedative qualities, which feel geared for bedtime. The nose and palate of this strain are dominated by deep notes of pine, with subtle floral hints. Visually, it’s beautiful — featuring deep purple flowers intertwined with deep greens and orange hairs.
The high here is heavy. It won’t make you feel sluggish but it’ll make the idea of doing nothing feel too damn good to pass up. Like Mountain Shadows, the effects show up quickly after a single hit providing a sedating buzz throughout the body that’ll keep any intense aches and pains at bay and make every sensation feel amazing. Smoke this after an intense workout session or a long day at work and take part in a little self-care.
The Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for the ultimate relaxation strain, look no further than Night Sky. The high is powerful, sending relaxing vibrations through the body that melt away aches, pain, and stress.
After taking a one-week break, BTS’ hit single “Butter” found its way to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and now the good times keep on rolling: On the Hot 100 dated August 7, “Butter” is once again No. 1 for a 9th week. That makes it the longest-running No. 1 song of the year, breaking its tie at 8 weeks with Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License.”
The band addressed their fans after the news was revealed, writing on Twitter, “We’re making history together, #BTSARMY ! HOT 100 brimming with BTS music for 10 straight weeks.”
The song still has a few weeks to go to pass last year’s longest-running No. 1 song: Roddy Ricch’s “The Box,” which spent 11 weeks at No. 1 in 2020. Meanwhile, BTS’ “Permission To Dance” remains in the top 10 this week, at No. 9.
Another major takeaway from the top 10 is Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s Kanye West-produced single “Industry Baby” debuting at No. 2. The song is Nas’ fourth top-10 hit and Harlow’s second. As for West, it’s his 22nd top-10 song as a producer. “Industry Baby” is one of two Nas songs in the top 10, as “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” currently sits at No. 8.
When writing the most “out there,” superhero-filled speculative fiction you can imagine, you wouldn’t think it’d be so simple to nail the plot of actual upcoming films. However, it turns out a team of creatives who truly know their Marvel are a lot more likely to overlap than you might think, and it’s caused a couple of hiccups in the upcoming Disney+ series What If..?
In a recent interview with Kakuchopurei, What If..? creator A.C. Bradley revealed she had to scrap an entire episode after learning she had inadvertently written half the plot of the next Guardians of the Galaxy film. While Bradley was initially thrilled when she was told Kevin Feige would love her idea, it turned to shock when the studio revealed Feige loved it so much, he had already approved director James Gunn doing it for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
“I pitched an entire episode. It took me a couple of days to break it. I was very excited about it. I went to Bryan and was like, here we go, this is what happens, do you think Kevin Feige would approve? He went, oh, yeah, Kevin would love that, that’s half the plot of Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3. I was like, you’re kidding, and he went, nope, good job, you guessed it. I was like getting ready to go home and crack open a beer and go, I’ll go back to the board tomorrow. So, that one I can’t do because the amazing James Gunn is already going to do it.”
Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time Bradley’s foresight and understanding of the MCU proved to be a slight hindrance to her. Back in 2019, Bradley told Discussing Film a similar story about her pitching an episode of What If..? that featured Jane Foster as Lady Thor, and subsequently being told “that was never going to happen.” While those words might have seemed harsh at the time, both Thor fans and Bradley now know it was because Thor: Love and Thunder was already in the works:
“I got a little angry and thought, ‘Why, because they don’t want a woman holding the hammer?’ I was very politely told, ‘No we’re doing it.”
While these developments have to be frustrating as creators, as a fan it’s both pretty interesting and encouraging to see just how in sync the creative minds running the MCU are. While we’ll still be waiting another year or two for Thor: Love and Thunder and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel’s What If..? hits Disney+ August 11.
Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
This week, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak finally returned as Silk Sonic for their funky new single, “Skate.” Now, the hope is the wait for their next release won’t be as long. Elsewhere, Prince’s estate shared his latest posthumous album with Welcome 2 America and Ant Clemons continues to be excellent with “Appreciation,” his new collaboration with 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla Sign.
Silk Sonic — “Skate”
When Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak announced their Silk Sonic duo earlier this year, the assumption was that the music that came from it would be amazing. This was confirmed when they released their first single “Leave The Door Open” shortly after the announcement. Just in case you aren’t sold on what Silk Sonic has to offer, the duo is back in action with their second single “Skate.” The infectiously good track comes with an equally infectious video laced with roller skates, congas, and groovy dancing.
Prince — Welcome 2 America
The music world just received the first body of unreleased records from Prince since his death in 2016. Welcome 2 America arrives with 11 tracks that previously only played during live performances or on one-off radio shows. Altogether, the album — which was recorded in 2010 prior to the singer’s Welcome 2 America tour — touches on the late singer’s fears, hopes, and vision for society’s future, which he believed would have political tensions, disinformation, and fights for social justice.
Ant Clemons — “Appreciation” Feat. 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla Sign
Last year, Ant Clemons emerged with his debut project Happy 2 Be Here, a full-length release that would go on to give him his first Grammy nomination. While he did not win in the Best R&B Album category at the 2021 Grammys, the recognition was still huge for such an early stage in the singer’s career. A year later and the New Jersey singer is seemingly preparing fans for another project as he returns with his second single of the year, “Appreciation” with 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla Sign. The moody banger finds the three acts showing gratitude to the special companions in their lives.
Nao — “And Then Life Was Beautiful”
This fall marks three years since East London singer Nao delivered her fan-favorite sophomore album Saturn. The project stood out as one of that year’s best R&B release and since then, fans have patiently waited to receive a follow-up. Nao recently revealed her third album And Then Life Was Beautiful will arrive on September 24, and ahead of its release, she shared the album’s graceful title track and elegant live performance to match.
Tink — Heat Of The Moment
Tink was once primed to become one of the industry’s biggest acts, but struggles with her label and what would’ve been her debut album plagued her career and held her back from the spotlight moment she deserved. Nowadays, the Chicago native traverses the music world as an independent act where she can freely show her talents on projects like her most recent release, Heat Of The Moment. The full-length effort presents 14 songs with contributions from Yung Bleu, Davido, and Kodak Black.
Jacquees — “Not Jus Anybody” Feat. Future
Nowadays, the “King Of R&B” crown Jacquees once claimed may not be in his possession anymore, but the singer is looking to make a strong run to get it back. With a new album on the way, Jacquees calls on Future for their new single, “Not Jus Anybody.” On it, the the duo reminds their companions to value their love and actions as much as possible as what they bring to the table is far better than what any other man could do.
Yebba — “Louie Bag” Feat. Smino
After shining with Lucky Daye earlier this year on “How Much Can A Heart Take,” Yebba takes the driver’s seat for her latest single, “Louie Bag” with Smino. Led by her soothing vocals and detailing her recent successes and distaste for friends who are “talking sh*t for no reason,” Yebba delivers a track that stands strong on its own but gets a boost with the addition of Smino’s slick verse.
Duckwrth & Phabo — “4K”
Just a year after dropping his funky SuperGood album, Duckwrth is getting ready to grace the world with another project. Weeks after sharing “Make U Go,” the singer returns with “4K” alongside Soulection singer Phabo. The gritty banger is all about capturing life’s best moments on camera in order to cherish them at a later date and never forget them.
Ye Ali — “Dangerous”
Known for his own songs that err on the sultry side of things as much as the records he’s penned for several artists, Ye Ali returns with his latest drop, “Dangerous.” The passionate record presents a man whose jaw always drops at the sight of his current lover. The singer labels her “dangerous,” a description that only draws him more towards her.
Bri Steves — TBH
Philly singer Bri Steves steps in front of the curtain with her latest project, TBH. The effort carries nine songs and guest appearances from Poundside Pop, Symba, and Guapdad 4000, who appears on “GAF,” which is laced with the same sample Kanye West used for “Devil In A New Dress.” The project also sees production from Boi-1da, T-Minus, Bink!, and more.
Parisalexa — “…Better Than Being In Love”
Last year, Parisalexa kept it 2 Real with her 10-track project and now the singer is staying true to that mantra with her latest single. Back with “…Better Than Being In Love,” the Redmond, Washington singer boasts about finding true happiness with self-love rather than depending on another person to give the affection she once craved.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
As the saying goes, the show must go on and Rolling Loud Miami was a fully immersive experience of that exact colloquialism. The sweltering Miami heat, the intermittent heavy rain showers, sweaty bodies, and the Delta variant were not enough to stop over 100,000 attendees from descending upon the Miami Hard Rock Stadium for the chance to catch Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, Jack Harlow, and Young Thug hit the Rolling Loud stage.
This was the first major festival catered to hip-hop fans since the quarantine, after all. This made for an interesting lineup with not only our usual Rolling Loud faves such as Future and Roddy Ricch, but it also included a lineup up-and-coming artists who blew up over the quarantine.
Uproxx spoke to some of these breakout acts after they got off stage and also a few festival vets to get a feel of what it’s like finally being able to perform at a festival again.
Rubi Rose
Before this Rolling Loud Miami, the only festivals 2021 XXL Freshman Rubi Rose found herself on were the abundance of virtual festivals that went on during the pandemic. Her breakout hit “Big Mouth” popped off in 2019, right before the quarantine — so she had a lot of practice before the real thing and it really showed in her high energy performance. “It felt so good to finally perform live at Rolling Loud,” she told us. “The nerves I felt before were sickening but as soon as I got on stage and felt the energy of the crowd, it was lit. It was turnt up. I felt so many feelings performing but really, I’m so happy I could cry. I just remember coming to Rolling Loud as a girlfriend backstage to now having my own set and having people scream the words to my song it’s crazy for me.”
Favorite song to perform: “Big Mouth” — “It’s the crowd’s favorite. I barely have to say the words and seeing people act crazy is lit for me.”
J.I. the Prince of NY
J.I. the Prince of NY is one of Uproxx’s favorites and touted as the next to blow. His song “Need Me” exploded back in 2019 and in between that time he made sure to flood DSPs with his EP’s Welcome To GStarr Vol. 1 and Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 3. “I didn’t expect ‘Need Me’ to pop off when it did,” the rising star told us. “I let the people decide that and this was my first Rolling Loud outside. I’m just happy to be here. When I did ‘Need Me’ they knew it. It was crazy. I was nervous at first because I hadn’t done a festival before. They ended up kicking me off stage because I went over my time.” Needless to say, being at Rolling Loud was a dream come true for J.I. “Growing up, I spoke this into existence.” Rolling Loud Miami was the Brooklyn native’s first time hitting a festival stage and his growing popularity will see him at Rolling Loud in New York and Los Angeles, among other festivals throughout the year.
Favorite song to perform: “Blame On Me” (or “Need Me”) — “There’s a certain part of that song when I do it, everybody goes crazy and starts screaming it. That’s one of my vulnerable songs where I spoke my pain. Everybody feels that record.”
Kenny Mason
So much talent comes out of Atlanta and that much is said for the genre-bending rock star Kenny Mason, who somehow perfectly blends the sounds of trap and rock together effortlessly. Looking at the Rolling Loud crowd during his performance, it was obviously hard for concertgoers to not headbang whether they had heard of him or not. His performances of “Chevron” and “Metal Wings” really got the crowd hype. “I was real, real anxious during the pandemic and wanting to perform so bad it feels so surreal to perform now. Knowing that people know these songs is the best feeling. It’s better than anything pleasurable you can think about. It was so turnt seeing them people know them words.”
Favorite song to perform: “Chevron” and “Metal Wings”
SSGKobe
SSGKobe is just a teenager who is getting ready to graduate but he is also a highly-streamed artist on Spotify between his songs “Calabasas” and “Thrax” boasting over a million monthly listeners. So of course, he had to grace the Rolling Loud stage with his presence. “It was very unexpected and the timing was crazy because of the whole COVID thing,” he said shortly after his performance. “My friends don’t believe it. My family is supportive so it’s all a big blessing. When I was performing it was early and people were still coming in but the people that were there, everybody was lit. I had everybody lit.”
Favorite song to perform: “Thrax”
Dess Dior
Dess Dior dropped her biggest tracks “Rich Bitch” and “No Hook” at the height of the quarantine and has slowly begun to make a name for herself with fresh tracks like “Don’t Play,” so it’s no surprise that she’d make her debut post-pandemic festival appearance at Rolling Loud Miami. “I truly believe that hard work pays off and I’ve been working super hard since I dropped my first single,” she told us. “To see the crowd’s reaction to my first performance ever, had me speechless when I walked off! As an artist we all worry ourselves to death so to me that means everything is aligned as it should be and all I have to do now is stay focused, continue to work and let God take control of everything up and coming.” Dess let us know she has a project on the way and promises that it will be “super heartfelt and full of surprises.”
Favorite song to perform: “Rich Bitch” or “Don’t Play”
SCMG‘s own TiaCorine rightfully hit the Rolling Loud stage this year after making a splash with her trap-anime style of rapping and viral track “Latto,” which can be found on her 2020 project 34Corine. “Really I was kind of like, dang, the pandemic kind of messed me up because I was just rolling and I couldn’t perform. I couldn’t go anywhere. But, it kind of put me in a different space because I wasn’t really too familiar with getting on social media,” she said. “I got more comfortable getting on TikTok, going on live and posting more. It kind of helped me to push my brand online, which I wasn’t doing at first.” Tia is currently working on a secret EP with a producer whom she wouldn’t name, so look out for that in the near future.
Favorite song to perform: “Pancakes” — “I love seeing everyone turnt up to that because it turns me up.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
One of the most exciting pieces of the spirits world in 2021 is the spirit of ingenuity. Sure, you can always find Scotch whisky aged exclusively in oak barrels or well-made, affordable vodka, rum, and tequila. But some distillers are pushing the envelope to develop nuanced, unique flavors by aging spirits in barrels that once held other types of booze entirely. Or they’re playing with mash bills (the mix of grains that are fermented). Or both.
Most whisky lovers know about the trend of aging single malt scotch in sherry seasoned casks, but the creative barrelling movement has gone well beyond that now. Some innovative pioneers are aging whiskies in former wine barrels, tequilas in rum casks, rye in port barrels… the list goes on. As new ideas enter the public consciousness, innovators stand ready to push things even further. It’s a big, messy, fun cross-pollination and we, the drinkers, reap the rewards.
Besides just innovation, one of the perks of creative barrelling, mash bills, and distilling techniques is that the new expressions being created are often able to bridge the gaps between two different fanbases. Whether it’s bourbon with rum notes or rum with bourbon notes or tequila with notes of both, these expressions offer easy entry points to different spirits and engage a new set of drinkers.
Below you’ll find eight interesting expressions that bridge spirits in a fun way. Check our tasting notes and click the prices to give something innovative a try.
Martell is a big name in the Cognac Game. If you enjoy the smooth flavor of Cognac, you can’t go wrong with any of its expressions. But if you want to try something extra mellow and totally unique, try this expression — which builds on the grape-based distilled spirit of France with corn-centric American bourbon whiskey notes.
Martell took VSOP Cognac and finished it in ex-bourbon barrels. The results are spectacular.
Tasting Notes:
The nose begins with the aromas of toasted vanilla beans, caramel apples, coconut cream, and wood char. The palate is filled with notes of raisins, dried cherries, oak, sweet corn, and subtle spices at the very end. Fans of both spirits will enjoy the melding of flavors.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of Cognac and a fan of bourbon, this is your jam. It has all the silky smooth, sweetness of a long-aged Cognac and the buttery caramel and oakiness of a classic bourbon.
El Mayor Rum Cask Finish Extra Añejo (Tequila + Bourbon + Rum)
In general, most tequila is aged in American oak barrels. El Mayor turns this process on its head by not only maturing its tequila in ex-bourbon barrels for three full years, but it finishes this extra añejo in casks that once held Agricole rum. It’s made in limited quantities and truly unique.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas like cloves, cinnamon, chocolate fudge, vanilla beans, and sweet agave are prevalent on the nose. The flavor is complex and balanced with hints of anise, cinnamon, oaky wood, and butterscotch. A slightly sweet rum backbone shows itself throughout the taste. The finish is mellow and sweet, with a hint of molasses.
Bottom Line:
In theory, this style of aging might seem strange. But the sweetness of the bourbon and rum plays off the cooked agave sugars perfectly, making this a great tequila sipper for fans of all three forms of alcohol.
Some bourbon aficionados have trouble believing that Angel’s Envy truly fits the parameters of bourbon, due to the unique barrels and casks it chooses to age its whiskey in. We don’t care about all that noise. Its sherry casked version is Kentucky straight bourbon that gets an “extended finishing period” in former Oloroso sherry butts — borrowing a page from the Scotch whisky playbook.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with scents of dried cherries, raisins, almond cookies, and vanilla beans. The palate is all about the charred oak flavors that work nicely alongside sherry sweetness, vanilla cream, and sweet toffee with just a hint of spice. It all ends with a mellow, sweet, slightly dry finish.
Bottom Line:
Scotch fans are well acquainted with sherry-finished whiskies, but this isn’t as common in the bourbon world. The sweetness of the sherry casks only adds to the overall sweetness, making this a truly rich, indulgent sipping bourbon.
Big Gin Peat Barreled Gin (Gin + Peated Scotch Whisky)
Seattle’s Big Gin crafts some high-quality, underrated gins. One of its most interesting is its Peat Barreled Gin. Flavored with Juniper, coriander, bitter orange peel, grains of paradise, angelica, cassia, and a few other herbs and botanicals, it’s aged in both Ardbeg and Laphroaig Scotch whisky barrels, both known for their peaty, smoky, briny flavors.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with the aromas of orange peels, juniper berries, slight peat smoke, and nice herbal quality. The flavor is unlike any gin you’ve likely ever tasted. While the botanical and juniper-centric flavors are there, it’s spicier than most gins and has an ever-present note of smoky peat throughout.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of peaty, Islay single malt whiskies, this is the gin for you. It’s more than just a gimmick too. It’ll give a spicy, smoky kick to your favorite gin cocktails.
Sagamore Spirit Port Cask Finish Rye (Rye + Port Wine)
While some of the spirits on this list seem like they came to the distillers while they were in the midst of a fever dream, Sagamore Spirit Port Cask Rye definitely doesn’t. Winner of the “World’s Best Rye Whiskey” at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, it’s a 4–5-year-old straight rye whiskey that finished in both European and American port casks.
Inspiration-wise, using American port barrels for bourbon is the U.S.A.! version of putting Scotch in sherry butts.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, dried fruits, and caramel are noticeable at first whiff. The sherry finishing is totally noticeable on the palate, too. You get ripe berries, raisins, dried cherries, caramel, and just a touch of peppery rye. The finish is dry, sweet, and slightly spicy.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to rye whiskey, it’s hard to get more well-rounded and complex than this. With its sweet fruity, subtly spicy flavor, no wonder it was named the best rye whiskey in the world.
Glenmorangie is constantly cranking out high-quality, exciting whiskies. One of its most innovative is its Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or Sauternes Cask Finish. First aged in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in Sauternes wine barrels (a dessert wine from France), it’s sweet, rich, and totally sippable.
Tasting Notes:
You’ll be surprised by the potent aromas of caramel, vanilla beans, sweet honey, and citrus zest on the nose. The sip reveals hints of sticky toffee, more vanilla, slight cinnamon, candied orange peels, and a gentle dessert-like sweetness at the finish. All in all, a perfect after-dinner drink paired with or without rich desserts.
Bottom Line:
This whisky (similar to the brand’s other dessert-like whiskey, Tale of Cake) is sweet, rich, highly flavorful, and tastes more like a dessert liqueur than a single malt whisky.
Starward Nova Single Malt Whisky (Whisky + Red Wines)
You may not yet be well aware of Australian whisky but that’s likely to change sooner than later (it’s changing now, in fact!). The country is much more well-known for its Vegemite and its wines, but brands like Starward are leading the way in the whisky game. And its Nova Single Malt Whiskey is made to combine both whisky and wine notes (luckily not Vegemite included).
This single malt whisky is matured in barrels that previously held Australian shiraz, pinot noir, and cabernet wines.
Tasting Notes:
Not surprisingly, due to the large number of red wine barrels used for aging, the nose is alive with ripe berries, pears, dried cherries, charred oak, and a nice kick of spice. The palate reveals flavors of butterscotch, vanilla beans, more berries, and a hint of cinnamon sugar. The last few sips are a mixture of rich spice and sweet fruits.
Bottom Line:
This is the whisky for the wine lover. It has the richness, sweetness, and caramel of a single malt whisky and the fruit and oak of high-quality red wine.
When it comes to spirits people obsess over, vodka definitely gets the least amount of love. Many drinkers believe that vodka either tastes like ethanol or is simply flavorless and boring. Old Barrel Vodka is something completely different. It’s a premium French vodka that’s aged in Cognac barrels. This results in the addition of caramel and oaky flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Honestly, the complexity of the aromas surprised us. It doesn’t smell the way you’d expect a vodka to smell, There’s a good deal of oak, dried fruits, caramel, and a nice nutty sweetness. There’s more of the same on the palate with more fruitiness as well as toffee, black pepper, and vanilla at the finish.
Bottom Line:
It’s really hard to pinpoint what is going on here. There are almost too many flavors to appeal to most vodka drinkers, but it doesn’t taste like it spent a long time in Cognac barrels. While it’s certainly interesting, this option is more on the novelty end of the spectrum. Try it in a highball with a little seltzer.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
During Monday morning’s episode of The View, Meghan McCain was present as the panel discussed Kathy Griffin’s lung cancer diagnosis, and despite it being McCain’s last week, it seemed like business as usual for the daytime talk show. However, things took a turn when it came time for an interview with Mary Trump where the former president’s niece tackled the current state of the Republican Party and the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
While you’d think these would be topics McCain would want to discuss given her outspoken opinions on both subjects, she was noticeably absent for Mary’s interview, and Trump’s niece wasn’t letting that fact go without comment. Here’s what Mary Trump had to say to Sunny Hostin while addressing Don Jr. being the favored Republican candidate for 2024 now that his father has proven that using racism is a “successful” platform for the GOP. Via Mediaite:
“This is an incredibly powerful platform,” she continued, “and I think the more we talk openly about these things — it’s a shame that your colleague didn’t have the courage to come on and have this conversation with me — but I appreciate that you were all willing to take up these very difficult subjects because racism in my view is at the heart of everything that’s wrong in 21st century America.”
Yup, that was a clear shot at McCain, and it didn’t take long for Mary Trump to start trending on Twitter, with people loving that McCain got absolutely shaded for ducking the interview.
Ha Ha So Meghan did not participate in the segment with Mary Trump. She can dish it out but she can’t take it. She knew Mary was going to speak the truth about Republicans. #TheViewpic.twitter.com/1BQuUgWjaE
— Some ppl have everything.Some ppl have nothing.RNM (@sharpetax) August 2, 2021
The woman who yells how strong she is and how she will go to task on someone decided to sit out the Mary trump interview #TheViewpic.twitter.com/WzrpXSAtCD
Russell Westbrook has long been a fascinating figure in the NBA. He plays the game with such force that it’s impossible not to notice him at almost all times on the court, both for better and for worse.
Westbrook is a Rorschach test for NBA observers, with some more willing to look at the positives that have elevated every team he’s played on to the postseason, while others can’t help but see the shortcomings that have kept those teams from championship runs. The truth is somewhere in the middle, but even fellow NBA players can’t help but have varying views on the Westbrook experience.
Back in the summer of 2019, Kawhi Leonard was the biggest free agent on the market, fresh off a title in Toronto that had some people buzzing about whether he had a claim to the title of the best player in the league. The Raptors were in the mix to retain him, but the allure of going home to Los Angeles also existed, with both the Lakers and the Clippers in pursuit. Apparently, the draw of going home wasn’t just appealing to Leonard, as other L.A. native stars saw Kawhi as their possible ticket home.
Among them was Russell Westbrook, who according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, called Leonard that summer to discuss the possibility of uniting forces to go play for the Clippers.
Kawhi, however, had other ideas.
Teaming up with Leonard would be the fastest way there, so he placed the call, according to multiple sources. But Leonard didn’t just take the call as one native son of Los Angeles to another, ponder it and file it away.
He used it.
According to multiple sources, Leonard then called Westbrook’s teammate in Oklahoma City, Paul George, and told him he’d rather team up with him on a homecoming.
The rest, as they say, is history, with George getting on board with Kawhi’s plan and requesting the trade that sent he and Leonard to the Clippers for a bevy of assets going back to Oklahoma City. Westbrook, in the meantime, has bounced from OKC to Houston to Washington to, now finally, home in Los Angeles with the Lakers.
It is a rather sensational story and maybe the best example we’ve ever gotten of Leonard’s on-court ruthlessness bleeding over into his off-court dealings. To not only take that call and recognize there was an opportunity to pull off a move such as this, but to then use it to pry Westbrook’s teammate away to join him is incredible. Shelburne says George was happy to stay in OKC because of his relationship with Westbrook, but learning that Westbrook was likewise considering a way out, he couldn’t not take the opportunity to join forces with Kawhi.
Bill Murray’s an unquestionable institution, albeit an unpredictable and mercurial presence who, like all of us, can get more than a little bit moody. Some people don’t realize, however, that Murray has struggled with depression, and at one point, the situation grew so dire (before he became a successful actor) that he intended to drown himself in Lake Michigan. A resurfaced video clip of Murray answering a question about how art affected his life is going viral and is well worth pausing everything to watch.
Murray’s reveal originally happened in 2014 during a London press tour for The Monuments Men. Twitter user Todd Spence has newly posted the below clip, in which Murray revealed that his life was literally saved by a painting. After (what he describes as) a disastrous stage appearance, Murray contemplated suicide while walking for hours until he ended up in front of the Art Institute of Chicago. He went inside and was struck by Jules-Adolphe Breton’s painting, “The Song of the Lark.” And that’s when Murray realized he must keep going.
“I thought, ‘Well there’s a girl who doesn’t have a whole lot of prospects, but the sun’s coming up anyway and she’s got another chance at it,’” the Stripes star declared. “So I think that gave me some sort of feeling that I, too, am a person and I get another chance everyday the sun comes up.”
Bill Murray talks about the painting that stopped him from committing suicide after being asked if there were a moment how art has made a difference in his life. Watch til the end to see the painting. pic.twitter.com/LZzfn0eNrS
You can see the painting (which is still on display) below, courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Instagram page.
The rest, as they say, is pop culture history and, it’s a remarkable instance of those rare moments when a press tour can turn magical. Even Bill freaking Murray has had bleak times, and it’s a reminder that, yes, the sun will always come up tomorrow.
Watch this original 2014 video from Red Carpet News TV below.
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